Star Realms publisher Wise Wizard Games has laid off multiple full-time staff in a restructure aimed at helping it fulfill more than $2.5m in overdue crowdfunding projects in the face of “rising costs and unstable US tariffs”.

The company has let go of project director Danielle Reynolds and customer experience manager Derek Gill as part of the “heartbreaking” layoffs, which it said were necessary to ensure its long-term sustainability, adding that the company owners have been working without pay to “move things forward while keeping costs down”.

Wise Wizard said in a statement on its blog and across updates for its four undelivered crowdfunds that it remained committed to fulfilling all of its campaigns, which include the $1m-plus raising Hero Realms Dungeons it originally estimated would be delivered in February last year.

The announcement has caused a significant backlash from backers of that campaign, many of whom have complained about the constantly shifting delivery timeline, poor communication, and the company’s decision to continue sending staff to shows such as Spiel Essen despite its financial problems.

BoardGameWire contacted Wise Wizard on November 8 to ask for more information about its current situation and future plans in the wake of the layoffs, but is yet to receive a response.

The company said in its statement that sales were up at conventions including Origins, Gen Con and Spiel Essen, and that its strategy of focusing on smaller box games such as recent releases Seeker Chronicles, Elemystic and Cat Says Moo was “helping us weather changes in costs and tariffs”.

It added that party game Caution Signs, created by Reynolds and Boop! designer Scott Brady, and Jacqueline Atkins’ lightweight abstract title Pack the Essentials were both being reprinted, and said the company was starting to distribute games such as Locus that were originally published outside the US.

Wise Wizard said its digital apps for Star Realms and Hero Realms were “thriving” and not impacted by tariffs, adding that its digital team would continue support and development work for its online adaptations.

The company’s other undelivered Kickstarters include the $1.1m-raising Robot Quest Arena: Bot Battle, which was initially eyeing a June 2025 delivery, and Star Realms Deluxe Colonial Collection, which raised over $300,000 from 2,500 backers and was initially expected to deliver in November last year.

Wise Wizard is also yet to deliver the physical edition of trading card game Draconis 8, which it had originally planned to get into the hands of backers this month.

The company attracted criticism last year from tabletop artists including Root illustrator Kyle Ferrin for its decision to use AI-generated imagery to create the game.

Wise Wizard has suffered extensive delays on a series of crowdfunding projects prior to the latest tariffs-affected campaigns.

The company finished delivering its campaign for Star Realms Rise of Empire in March this year, almost two years beyond its initial June 2023 estimate, while the Robot Quest Arena Kickstarter eventually made its way to backers almost 18 months after the initial May 2022 estimate.

Wise Wizard is the latest in a string of board game companies to be impacted by the volatile US tariffs situation, which has already led to the demise or gutting of several businesses.

Tabletop publishers had already warned of inevitable prices increases back in February, when newly-inaugurated US president Donald Trump unveiled a 10% tariff on goods being imported from China – the manufacturer of the vast majority of modern hobby games.

Since then the entire industry – from publishers and manufacturers to retailers, distributors and designers – have been left reeling by the rapidly escalating and unpredictable trade war between the two countries, which saw US tariffs on China reach a high of 145% on April 9.

The rate has remained volatile since, dropping to 30% for several months amid trade talks between US and China, before Trump threatened a 130% rate in the middle of last month. The current tariff rate on China stands at about 45% for most imported goods.

High profile casualties of the tariffs within the industry to date have included Flat River Group, which laid off the vast majority of staff and suspended new projects at its subsidiary, Spirit Island publisher Greater than Games, in mid-April, blaming “ongoing economic pressures resulting from the international tariff crisis”.

Board game crowdfunding major CMON, which was already foundering under a severe revenue slump, engaged in mass layoffs and halted new game development around the time the April tariff war began.

Last month Amigo Spiele, the veteran German board game publisher of titles such as Bohnanza and 6 Nimmt!, announced it was shuttering its US arm after eight years after struggling to overcome the double impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and the current tariffs volatility.

Wise Wizard was launched as White Wizard Games in 2013 by former Magic: The Gathering Hall of Famers Rob Dougherty and Darwin Kastle, and scored early success with spaceship combat deck-building game Star Realms the following year.

That game has gone on to become and evergreen title for the company, which expanded the game out into fantasy setting through its adaptation Hero Realms in 2016. Other successful titles from the publisher have included Robot Quest Arena and Sorcerer.

The company rebranded to Wise Wizard in 2021, and two years later branched out its operations by launching family-focused imprint Wacky Wizard Games.

Wise Wizard said in its recent crowdfunding updates about the layoffs, “Times are challenging, and we’ve had to make some hard decisions, but Wise Wizard Games is well positioned to weather the storm.”

It added in its blog post, “We’ve poured our hearts and souls into Wise Wizard Games for over a decade.

“We know this transition is hard, and we’re sorry for the delays and disruptions. But we’re optimistic about the road ahead.”

The post “We’re not giving up”: Star Realms maker Wise Wizard Games lays off staff, citing rising costs, unstable US tariffs situation first appeared on .